An installation crew from Storm Sirens Inc. and city personnel worked Friday to install the new tornado siren behind city hall. Workers are shown here beginning to set the pole in place with the unit attached. (Times photo/Tim Blair) [Click to enlarge]

The wail of sirens was heard throughout downtown Piggott Friday afternoon, as city officials tested the new tornado siren that was installed earlier that day behind city hall.

The multi-horn unit, which is mounted on a power pole between city hall and the Clay County Jail, was purchased with grant money applied for earlier this year. Of the total cost of $21,000, the grant covered a little over $17,000 of the purchase price.

Following approval of the grant application earlier this year, Piggott police chief Bill Alstadt began to research the issue, and visited several locations around the region to inspect their siren systems. After viewing several different systems he decided on the multi-horn single unit.

Alstadt noted that the tornado siren can be activated from the police department, the dispatch center at the jail or by any of the police department's hand-held radios. This allows activation of the siren by officers in their cars or on foot in an emergency situation.

Friday morning the unit was delivered from the manufacturer in Colorado, and was attached to the pole by personnel from Storm Sirens, Inc. of Norman, Okla. City electric department staff then set the pole, and the siren was attached to the power grid. Around 2:45 p.m. Friday the first test blasts were sounded, and the siren was tested several times over the course of the next hour.

"The tests went well -- of course it's very loud in the downtown area," mayor Gerald Morris noted. He added that personnel were positioned around town to evaluate the siren, and that they're still working out the details.

Morris added that city officials will be formulating a schedule for testing the siren, and are still trying to work out under what circumstances the alarm would be sounded. He noted that Chief Alstadt will be conferring with other cities about their policies and will be reporting to the city council.

"This is a great addition, and a good start," Morris said. He added that once the system is evaluated city leaders will discuss the need for additional units. "We're probably going to need one more, and we'll be looking into that somewhere down the road," he added.